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EVR’s Hindutwa or Hindutwa of Periyar: RSS’s comparison of ideologies of Periyar and Hindutwa!

Much in common between Periyar’s Dravidian principles and the RSS ideology[1]: RSS joint general secretary Dr Manmohan Vaidya on 17-05-2018, Thursday expressed confidence that the Sangh would able to strengthen its base in Tamil Nadu, explaining that there is much in common between Periyar’s Dravidian principles and the RSS ideology, as both advocate equality in society without caste and communal differences and class distinctions. “Periyar had campaigned for a society where everyone, particularly the poor and the backward castes, have equal rights and could live in dignity. He had worked tirelessly towards creating a casteless society. RSS too advocates and practises the same ideology”, Dr Vaidya said at a select media interaction here. He admitted that the RSS work in Tamil Nadu could be a bit more divisions created by vested interests”. However, the Sangh would emerge successful in winning the Tamil hearts as the “great unifying factor is spirituality, that’s just the way of Indian living over centuries, marked by kindness, sharing, mutual respect and tolerance, and such other virtues”, Dr Vaidya said[2].

Muslims and Christians in RSS[3]: Elaborating on the RSS ideology, he said the Sangh has several Muslim and Christian members attending the shakhas, which number over 57,000 spread across the country. There is neither religious preaching nor any political discourse at the RSS meetings and shakhas. “We have Dr C I Issac, a renowned history professor, as an important member in Kerala. He has written several well-researched articles on being Hindu”, he said. “A Dravidian leader, who presided over a RSS conference in Tamil Nadu a couple of years ago, had said in his speech that he had actually come to close down the shakhas because he was under the impression that extreme Hinduism was being preached there, but after seeing that the shakhas practiced no class/caste/religious distinctions, he was going back happy that his mind has changed and he now knew the truth about RSS”, Dr Vaidya said. Dr Vaidya is here to be part of the faculty at the RSS summer camp, being attended by over 300 members from all the southern states. There are 80 such camps happening across the country. “There are lectures on spiritualism, clean living, social issues and ways of bringing about positive change among the people, apart from physical training”, explained the RSS leader[4].

Mayawati and Jayalalita: Evidently, either he does know the “Dravidian ideology” or the TN BJP or Hindutwa ideologists have not briefed him properly about the Dravidian ideology and polity. It is definitely incorrect to compare or equate Periarist ideology with that of RSS ideology, as both would not match with each other on many accounts. Incidentally, BJP suffered heavily because of two Lady-politicians Mayawati and Jayalalita. During 1995, Mayawati and BJP experimented coalition rule in UP, but failed, because of the inherent fissures. Though, Periyar was an anti-Hindutwa voice, the Dravidian parties DMK, AIADMK, MDMK were trying to align and aligned with BJP for political compulsion, exploitation and profiteering. The BJP could not forget about the fall because of one vote and it was approaching cautiously with Jayalalita. Now, AIADMK has been with BJP and hence, BJP tries to get benefit out of political confusion prevailing in Tamilnadu, after the demise of Jayalalita.

“Periyar’s Hindutwa” as perceived in 2004: Ravikumar asked, “In such a context, intellectuals who write about Tamil society and polity in the English-language media continue to posit Periyar as an important anti-Hindutva voice. If that were to be true, how/ and why is it that we see Dravidian parties like the DMK, AIADMK and MDMK vying with each other to be seen in the company of BJP? Also, why is it that these Dravidian formations brazenly attempt to implement an agenda over which even states ruled by the BJP would hesitate?,” and then, went on to reply. In the context of “Paraiyar / SC / now mentioned as Dalits”, he pointed out[5], “Periyar was someone who was jealous of the constitutional safeguards that were given to the dalits. Having repeatedly spoken of dalits as a people who don’t have a history, who don’t have a political movement, who don’t have leaders, Periyar even made them believe this. Having used the dalits to serve his political ends, he asked them: ‘Asking the government for jobs, education, duties, huts and housing; and seeking from the Mirasdars two extra measures of paddy will not help in anyway…….Of what use are you to us?”. Periyar worked solely for the cause of the non-brahmin, non-religious minority, non-dalit backward and upper castes. He deployed the concept of ‘majority’ for this purpose. There’s only one difference between the majoritarianism that the hindutvawadis propound and that of Periyar’s: that is, over the exclusion of brahmins from this majority[6]. Then, he concluded[7], “Dravidian parties allying with the BJP even as they praise Periyar is no different from Mayawati’s praise for Periyar even as she rules in alliance with the BJP. There’s always a scope in Periyar’s ideas for such possibilities. This is Periyarism”. Perhaps, “Hindutwa” expression used in 2004 shows the change taken place[8].

“Karnataka” would be repeated in Tamilnadu?: Whatever the nuances are appreciated, filtering out the differences, the anti-Hindu, anti-Sanskrit, anti-Brahmin, anti-dalit, pro-mohammedan, and above all anti-Indian ideology of EVR changed to Periyar could not be coped up with the RSS idelogists. In fact, the hard-core Periyarist, anti-Hindu Dravidian cadre and pro-Tamil ideologists would not accept such proposition, on any account. Therefore, the Hindutwavadis / RSS / BJPwalas should understand the Dravidian mindset. How Jayalalita was treated by them till death and even after hould bge an eye-opener, just because, she is a Brahmin, Pappathi, Aryan and so on. The Hindutava ideologists could get along with AIADMK but not with DMK and therefore, thinking about “Periarists” is redundant, futile and worthless. Though, BJP did not pose as “anti-dalit,” its inaffective campaign in Karnataka produced negative impact, where SC and ST constitute 19%. Even Hindutwa failed with Lingayats and Vokkaligas, as Congress played the “communal card” effectively, spending crores. In Tamilnadu, the higher caste Mudaliyars, Chettiyar, Pillais and others vote for DMK traditionally, because of their affiliations since 1960s. Muslims and Christians do not vote for BJP or BJP aligned AIADMK faithfully. In that manner, Congress plays a trick of “Karnataka” in Tamilnadu, by spitting the votes of AIADMK. The background of Kamal Hassan and Rajinikantha, though not clear, their politics affect only the interests of BJP alliance in Tamilnadu. They can better concentrate to analyze critically as to why RSS could not grow ideologically influencing others.

How to counter Dravidian ideology?: Dravidian Ideology has been powerful, attractive and alive in the minds of crores of people of Tamil speaking people. Many times, majority of them could be brought together or influenced with emotional appeal or threat that “Tamils are targeted, Tamil is danger, Tamil is suppressed by Hindi, Hindi is imposed to deprive out cultural rights” and so on. Though, they have been becoming pious, religious and believing, not because of “Hindu binding,” but, their traditional Tamil rituals, rites and ceremonies. Their caste-politics has been so dominating to capture, keep and enjoy power with economic superiority. Even, today, the TN-BJP has been divided on dravidian fault-lines which could not be cemented with “Hindutwa” as could be clearly observed in the followers, meetings held and social media. Their nuances of “inner-outer” dramatic twists, diplomatic duplicities and dogmatic digs are not learned. First of all, no effective speaker has been produced and the borrowed ones are always drifted to other parties or started their own splinter groups.

In TN-BJP, the leaders have been operating on caste based groupings and followers impacting others.

The second rung leaders have been divided among themselves, depending upon the power, wealth and other factors.

The third level leaders have been divided among themselves as usual division, zone, group, RSS-non-RSS, and such factors.

These three divisions have been further divided based on egoist groups, envying enemies, caste and other factors.

Most of them have been appearing and active only when NDA is in power.

Besides, social media struggle and group rivalry exhibited, there have been flooding of anonymous letters written to Modi down to local office.

Without understanding the nuances of “Secularism” and “communalism,” they go by blind faith of calling it as “Hindutwa”!

Though negative suggestion, propaganda etc., are not advisable, they always indulge in such activities, exposing themselves.

They advice with arrogance as if they are only next to Modi and Amit shah!